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Birmingham 2 Crystal Palace 1: Dunn shatters Palace hopes

DAVID DUNN’S inspiring performance lifted Birmingham to the top of the Championship in a match that espoused drama, desire and a painfully potent measure of derision before culminating in a late winning goal.

Substitute Sebastian Larsson held his nerve to score from Dunn’s pin-point cross in the second minute of added time, leaving Steve Bruce and Birmingham in debt to Arsène Wenger. Larsson and Nicklas Bendtner, who scored Blues’ opening goal, are on loan from Arsenal and both are precociously talented players.

But the impact of a powerful display was overshadowed for the Blues when skipper Damien Johnson, who was subjected to ironic cheers by the home supporters while being substituted in the final minutes, reacted with disdain. He tore off his captain’s armband and tossed it to the ground to widespread jeers then took off his shirt and threw it angrily on the pitch as he made his way